Weekly magic acts, classic American fare and fire truck drink discounts have come to define the Gathering Bar and Grill, a Mission Hills mainstay since 1986.

Owner Dan Thomas, though, has decided it's time to move on and has made the difficult decision to close the business and lease out the 2,500-square-foot space for a new dining venue. While he's in no rush to pack up and leave, Thomas said that once he gets the right offer, he will sell and close the restaurant.

A combination of health issues and a slowdown in revenue growth contributed to his decision to sell the restaurant.

"It hasn't been the best year we’ve had," acknowledged Thomas, who owns the building that houses the Gathering. "With more competition in the neighborhood, we always see a decrease when new restaurants open, but business generally comes back. But we're not doing the numbers we used to do, so there's a time in a restaurant’s life to open it, run it and close it."

The asking price the restaurant assets, along with the liquor license transfer, is $425,000, according to a sales brochure from the brokerage handling the listing, Location Matters.

Thomas, who moved the restaurant across the street to its present location in 1996, also is working on trying to reduce his stress levels since being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. The restaurant itself went through an especially stressful period seven years ago when it suffered substantial damage as a result of a kitchen fire and had to remain closed for a year. It reopened in 2007 following major reconstruction.

Long a popular meeting place for breakfast, the Gathering also has continuously featured local magicians, who perform on weekend nights. And because it's located close to a fire station, the restaurant advertises that each time a fire truck passes by on a Friday night with its sirens on, drinks at the bar are half price for two minutes.

While the restaurant's menu has changed with the times as Thomas has brought in new chefs to update the offerings, regular customers still demand that their old favorites be retained, he said.

"After 27 years, it will be hard to let go," said Thomas, who has 25 employees. "You’ve nursed it from infancy to adulthood to old age,and you’ve seen your customers go from high chair to bar chair."